Building block



Oct. 26, 1948. HERBERT 2,452,463

BUILDING BLOCK Filed Sept. 4, 1945 u If a a IQ "W v I r, 4 3 A I M f H 'W' I I 9 I! hn 9 II I I IV VE/V 70E 0004,69! Herbert AZZW// Patented Oct. 26, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE' 2,452,463 BUILDING BLOCK Donald H. Herbert, Spokane, 'Wash.

Application September 4, 1945, Serial No. 614,384

1 Claim. l

This invention relates to building construction and more particularly to a building block formed of concrete or other molded material, it being one object of the invention to provide a block so formed that when it is built into a wall a very substantial wall will be formed.

Another object of the invention is to so form the improved block that when a wall is built of the improved blocks very strong mortar joints will be formed between the blocks and the blocks prevented from shifting out of proper relation to each other.

Another object of the invention is to so forth the blocks that when mortar is applied to a block and another block set in place its weight will cause mortar between marginal portions of the blocks to be evenly distributed and ribs of one block held in grooves of an adjoining block so that the blocks may not shift transversely.

Another object of the invention is to provide a block which is of light weight but strongly reinforced.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing blocks of the improved construction engaged with each other to form a corner portion of a wall.

Fig. 2 is an end view showing the improved blocks resting one upon the other.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken transversely through a block of the improved construction.

Fig. 4 is a view looking at the opposite ends of the blocks shown in Figure 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a block of modified construction.

Fig. 6 is a view showing blocks of the construction in Figure 5' resting one upon another to form a wall.

The blocks constituting the subject matter of this invention are built into a wall consisting of tiers of walls, the blocks of each tier being disposed in end-to end engagement with each other. The blocks are formed of concrete and each has a body I formed with side walls and end walls and with a horizontally extending partition 2 midway its depth and a transversely extending vertical partition 3 midway its length. These partitions very effectively brace the block against strains and prevent it from cracking or breaking easily. Each side wall is formed along its upper edge face with a longitudinally extending groove ll and one end wall is formed along its opposite side edge portions with grooves 5 having their upper ends registering with ends of the grooves 4. The grooves 4 and 5 are arcuate in cross section and marginal portions 6 of the block along outer side edges of the grooves are foreshortened so that they are in spaced parallel relation to the planes of the main portions of the upper faces and the said end face of the block to provide mortar spaces between confronting marginal portions of blocks built into a wall. This is clearly shown in Figures 2 and 4 where space is shown between confronting marginal edge portions of the blocks. Ribs I extend along lower edge faces of the side walls of the block and similar ribs 8 and each rib is bordered by channels 9 which are transversely arcuate and merge into side edges of the transversely arcuate surfaces of the ribs. When the blocks are built into a wall mortar it, which is preferably cement, is placed within the grooves and the ribs will enter the grooves of the mortar-filled grooves and spread the mortar so that it is forced into the channels 9 and also into the mortar spaces between the marginal edge portions 5 of the blocks and the confronting edge portions of adjoining blocks. Therefore when the mortar sets the blocks will be very firmly bound to each other and since the mortar is only applied along marginal portions of the blocks water which may be absorbed by mortar between outer edge portions of the blocks can not travel across the blocks and cause the inner surface of a wall to be damp.

At a corner of a building each tier has an end block formed as shown in Figure 1. This block I is similar in construction to the other except that the grooves a in the upper edge faces of its side walls extend only to the vertically extending transverse partition 3 of the block and this partition and the outer end wall of the block are formed in their upper edge faces with grooves ii extending transversely of the block and reg" ister with the upper grooves 4 of an abutting block of an intersecting wall.

The inner side face of the block I is also formed with vertically extending ribs I! for engaging in end grooves of the abutting block of the intersecting wall. The ribs along lower edge faces of the side walls of the block i extend the full length of the block for engagement in the registering grooves of blocks upon which this block rests.

In Figures 6 and 7 there has been shown a block of modified construction. This block i3 is formed of concrete or cement and has outer side portions of its side walls projecting upwardly above the upper surface of its body to provide ribs It for engaging in recesses i5 formed by other.

walls, said side walls having their upper edge longitudinally extending faces formed with grooves arcuate in cross section and bordered by inner and outer horizontally extending fiat surfaces, one end wall being formed adjacent its side edges with grooves arcuate in cross section and having their upper ends registering with ends of grooves in upper edge faces of the side walls, and

ribs extending along lower edge faces of the side walls and along the outer face of the other end wall adjacent side edges thereof and projecting outwardly therefrom for fitting into rooves of adjoining blocks of a wall, the ribs being of less width anddepth than the grooves to provide mortar-receiving space in the grooves about ribs fit- 4 ting therein, and the ribs being bordered by moi tar-receiving channels extending the full length thereof arcuatein cross section, and the marginal sufaces along outer side edges of the grooves being offset with respect to surfaces along inner side edges of the grooves to provide mortar crevices between confronting outer edge faces of ad joining blocks of a wall.

DONALD H. HERBERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

. UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 3,762 Town Sept. 27, 1884 192,986 Greenwalt et a1. July 10, 1877 298,418 Shaw s May 13, 1884 390,175 Lee Sept. 25, 1886 1,351,471 Drabers Aug. 31, 1920 1,365,162 Ferguson Jan. 11, 1921 1,438,610 Poth Dec. 12, 1922 1,545,173 Trost July 7, 1925 1,686,757 Loughrldge Oct. 9, 1928 2,318,889 Sanford May 11, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 202,480 Switzerland 1939 464,840 Great Britain Apr. 26, 1937 

